Facsimile machine and system employing electric stylus transmission and recording



Aug. 4, 1953 G. H. RlDlNGS EI'AL FACSIMILE MACHINE AND SYSTEM EMPLOYING ELECTRIC STYLUS TRANSMISSION AND RECORDING Filed NOV. 16, 1948 16 Sheets-Sheet l HG. I

2 'INVENTORS G.H.RIDINGS J. umcxswszac G.B.WOR.TH EN W AATTORNEY Aug. 4, 1953 G. H. RIDINGS ETAL FACSIMILE MACHINE AND SYSTEM EMPLOYING ELECTRIC STYLUS TRANSMISSION AND RECORDING l6 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Nov. 16. 1948 INVENTORS G. H. RI DI NGS ATTORN EY J H.HACKENBERG BY G. B.WORTH EN Aug. 4, 1953 e. H. RIDINGS EI'AL FACSIMILE MACHINE AND SYSTEM EMPLOYING ELECTRIC STYLUS TRANSMISSION AND RECORDING l6 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed NOV. 16. 1948 J. H. HACKENBERG BY G.B.WO THEN ATTORNEY Aug. 4, 1953 Filed Nov. 16. 1948 H. RIDINGS ET FACSIMILE MACHINE AND SYSTEM EMPLOYING STYLUS TRANSMISSION AND- RECORDING ELECTRIC 16 Sheets-Sheet 4 5 6| 56 46c Sal/SK I6 60 37 42 GMT [W 45 INVENTORS G. H. RI DI NGS J. H.HACKENBERG BY G.B.WORTHEN ATTORNEY 1953 ca. H. RIDINGS ETAL 2,547,945

FACSIMILE MACHINE AND SYSTEM EMPLOYING ELECTRIC STYLUS TRANSMISSION AND RECORDING Filed Nov. 16, 1948 16 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTORS G. H. RIDINGS J. H. HACKENBERG 6.8.

By WORTHEN ATTORNEY Aug. 4, 1953 G. H. RIDINGS ETAL FACSIMILE MACHINE AND SYSTEM EMPLOYING ELECTRIC STYLUS TRANSMISSION AND RECORDING Filed NOV. 16, 1948 FIG. l0

l6 Sheets-Sheet 6 FIG. ll

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INVENTORS G.H.RIDING8 J.H.HACKENBERG BY G.B.WOR HEN ATTORNEY Aug. 4, 1953 FACSIMILE MACHINE AND SYSTEM EMPLOYING ELECTRIC STYLUS TRANSMISSION AND RECORDING G. H. RlDlNGS ETAL Filed NOV. 16. 1948 FIG. l4

16 Sheets-Sheet 7 l/l/l/l/l/l/Illl/lI/lIl/I/Il/I/I/III/III/llllllllllllllllll; mum/1mmmum/mmmun m mml,mum/110111111111um Ill/I/I/IIIIl/lIl/IIl/l I mun/mm I/II/ll INVENT0R4S G. H. momcs J. H.HACKENBERG G.B.WORTH EN ATTORNEY Aug. 4, 1953 a. H. aromas EI'AL 2,547,945

FACSIMILE MACHINE AND SYSTEM EMPLOYING ELECTRIC STYLUS TRANSMISSION AND RECORDING Filed Nov. 16. 1948 16 Sheets-Sheet s FIG. I9

FIG. 2.0

INVENTORS G. H. RIDINGS 90 BY J. H.HACKENBERG G.-B.WOR HEN ATTORN EY Aug. 4, 1953 G. H. mamas ETAL FACSIMILE MACHINE AND SYSTEM EMPLOYING ELECTRIC STYLUS TRANSMISSION AND RECORDING Filed Nov. 16. 1948 16 Sheets-Sheet 9 Aug. 4, 1953 G. H. mamas ETAL FACSIMILE MACHINE AND SYSTEM EMPLOYING ELECTRIC STYLUS TRANSMISSION AND RECORDING l6 Sheets-Sheet 10 Filed NOV. 16. 1948 wmN WNW A m INVENTORS G.H. m DINGS IL mmm 6mm 3w mum a I 5.24022 55 82 mos: 0255 6 J. H.HACKENBERG G.B.WORTHEN 5mm mum 6mm ATTORNEY 4, 1953 e. H. mamas ETAL 2,647,945

FACSIMILE MACHINE AND SYSTEM EMPLOYING ELECTRIC STYLUS TRANSMISSION AND RECORDING Filed NOV. 16, 1948 16 Sheets-Sheet ll N CO N FIG. 27A

FIG. 27

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a INVENTORS L awmomes 3 BY J. H. HACKENBERG 5 G.B.WORTHEN ATTORNEY g- 1953 e. H. RIDINGS ETAL 7,

FACSIMILE MACHINE AND SYSTEM EMPLOYING ELECTRIC STYLUS TRANSMISSION AND RECORDING Filed Nov. 16. 1948 1e Sheets-Sheet 13 268 Fl G. 32 FIG. 33 FIG. 34

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243- j: 242 I -245 a 245 247 E $6 a; 245

+34 INVENTORS G. H. R D] NGS By -J.H.HACKENBERG ATTORNEY Aug. 4, 1953 G. H. RIDINGS ETAL FACSIMILE MACHINE AND SYSTEM EMPLOYING ELECTRIC STYLUS TRANSMISSION AND RECORDING I l6 Sheets-Sheet 14 Filed NOV. 16, 1948 G. H. mamas ETAL 2,647,945

Aug. 4, 1953 FACSIMILE MACHINE AND SYSTEM EMPLOYING ELECTRIC STYLUS TRANSMISSION AND RECORDING l6 Sheets-Sheetfl5 Filed Nov. 16. 1948 FIG. 36

TUBE 327 TUBE 325 TUBE 326 OUTPUT OUTPUT AMPLIFIED. OUTPUT OF WHOLE WAVE X 1 LEVEL wI'aERE POSITIVE INPUT VOLTAGE EQUALS NEGATIVE BIAS VOLTAGE AND TUBE STARTS "r0 CONDUCT WEAK INPUT SIGNAL NEGATIVE PULSE SLIGHTLY COMPRESSED SMALL PORTION OF POSITIVE PEAK COMPRESSED (DUE TO RESISTOR 325b) AMPLIFIED OUTPUT NEGATIV E PULSE PARTLY COMPRESSED MODERATE INPUT SIGNAL STRONG INPUT SIGNAL PORTION OF PEAK COMPRESSED POSITIVE PULSE REDUCED OUTPUT CI C3 NEGATIVE PULSE ELIMINATED INVENTORS GHRIDINGS BY J.H.HAGKENBERG GI-IWORTHEN ATTORNEY Aug. 4, 1953 e. H. RIDINGS ETAL 2,647,945

FACSIMILE MACHINE AND SYSTEM EMPLOYING ELECTRIC STYLUS TRANSMISSION AND RECORDING Filed Nov. 16. 1948 16 Sheets-Sheet 16 FIG. 37

OUTPUT OF DIFFEREN TIATING CIRCUIT 328c-32Bd TUBE 328 LEFT SIDE RIGHT SIDE INVENTORS c. H. RI 0| NGS J. H.HACKEN BERG G.,H.WORTH EN ATTORN EY i aten tecl Aug. 4, l 953 FACSlMILE MACHINE AND SYSTEM PLOYING ELECTRIC STYLUS TRANS- MiSsIoN AND RECORDING Garvice H. Ridings, Summit, N. J., John H. Hack enberg, Flushing, and George B. Worthen, New York, N. Y., assignors to The Western Union Telegraph Company, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application November 16, 1948, Serial No. 60,334

14 Claims. 1

Our invention relates to the art of transmitting intelligence by facsimile signals and its principal object is to provide a system using a portable transmitter adapted to communicate with a distant receiver through a radio channel. Our facsimile system is primarily designed to operate under severe conditions such as would prevail, for example, in a field of hostilities where a soldier in an advanced position has to send vital information to headquarters quickly and accurately.

The portable sending equipment of our system comprises essentially a facsimile transmitter and a radio transmitter, each enclosed in a case with a self-contained power unit which operates from a small storage battery. The entire equipment can be easily carried about, the radio transmitter on the back and the facsimile transmitter by a handle like a small traveling case. The facsimile transmitter is a small compact piece of apparatus wholly self-contained and designed to be produced at low cost, being made as simple and light as possible.

Our facsimile transmitter has been devised to operate with a conducting paper on which the subject matter to be transmitted (such as a map, sketch, diagram, and the like) is marked with a pencil of soft graphite. After the information has been written on a sheet of this paper, the operator mounts the sheet on a rotary drum where it is scanned by an electric stylus. The pencil markings are conducting (that is, of low resistance) as compared with the high impedance of the unmarked paper and cause the stylus to produce voltage variations in-the grid circuit of a vacuum tube. These voltage variations represent the scanned copy and are fed into the cathode circuit of the radio transmitter which sends the signals to the distant receiver.

Our facsimile transmitter includes a novel arrangement for producing a'phasing pulse to start the recording operation of a receiver in phase with the scanning operation of the transmitter. This phasing arrangement comprises a commutator adapted to generate a phasing pulse in the grid circuit of the keying or modulator tube of the facsimile transmitter at each revolution of the scanning drum. The phasing pulse is sent out during the brief interval in which the transmitting stylus crosses the unmarked area at the overlapping ends of the sheet on the drum.

The receivingequipment embodied in our system to record the signals coming from the fac simile transmitter over a continuous-wave radio channel was designed tooperate over awide range of input signal level. For this purpose we have provided a recordin amplifier of novel construction and operation. This amplifier comprises a series of vacuum tubes of such characteristics and interstage coupling that the amplifier automatically shapes the pulses of weak and strong signals into a substantially uniform A. 0. wave which passes into the recording circuit at the proper level. This means that signals varying in strength over a wide range are recorded with practically the same density. The novel circuits and control devices by which we accomplish this result will be fully explained in due course.

Our system operates either with start-stop phasing or with synchronous phasing, and either one of these phasing operations can be brought into use by the receiver attendant to effect the best recordingresults. In our present embodiment, we use a recorder in which a continuous sheet of recording paper is traversed by a scanning stylus in a reciprocating movement. While this type of recorder is broadly old (see Wise and Parrott Patent No. 2,311,803, February 23, 1943), our machine involves certain new features which are adapted for operation either on start-stop or on synchronous phasing.

The synchronizing of the reciprocating stylus in the recorder is accomplished by a synchronous motor which can be selectively controlled by the attendant either to operate continuously in synchronism with the scanning drum at the transmitter or to operate at a speed slightly greater than that of the transmitter with phasing corrections once for each revolution of the transmitting drum. When atmospheric conditions make the start-stop phasing operation unreliable, the attendant merely throw a switch to let the stylus motor run continuously and adjusts an oscillator to cut the motor speed down to transmitting synchronism.

This double phasing or synchronizing operation of the recorder assures correct copy even under unfavorable atmospheric conditions. Further, the oscillator adjustment done by means of a variable condenser enables the attendant at the receiver to get the stylus motor into synchronism with any one of a number of transmitters where the scanning speed is liable to vary in the different machines. This fine adjustment of the stylus motor speed in the recorder is important when it is considered that the portable transmitters of this system are necessarily low-cost outfits built to run on a B-volt battery and it is not to be expected that the scanning speeds in all machines would be exactly the same.

In this introductory part of the specification,

we have not attempted to point out all the novel features and practical advantages of our invention, for those will be fully explained in connection with the accompanyingdrawings which illustrate an embodiment of our invention as actually built and operated. In these drawings:

Figs. 1 and 2 together represent a top view of the transmitter used in our system, these two figures joining along the line A-A;

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section on line 3-3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a transverse section on line 4-4. of Fig. 2 with the stylus carriage in forward or onerative position;

Fig. 5 is similar to Fig. 4 with the stylus carriage thrown back to rest position;

Fig. 6 shows an enlarged section through the stylus carriage on line 6-6 of Fig. 2;

Figs. 7 and 8 are sectional views on lines !--i and 8-8, respectively, of Fig. 6;

Fig. 9 is an exploded view of the stylus mount- 111g Fig. 10 is a section on line IBI3 of Fig. 1 showing the mounting of certain vacuum tubes used in the transmitter circuits;

Fig. 11 is a section on line H-ll of Fig. 10; Fig. 12 shows a transverse section on the line [2-[2 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 13 is a section on line l3l3 of Fig. 12;

Fig. 14 is a transverse section on line M-M of Fi 2;

Fig. 15 is a section on line i5-i5 of Fig. 14;

Fig. 16 illustrates an example of a sketch to be transmitted from an advanced position in a field of action to headquarters;

Figs. 17 to 20 are diagrammatic views of four successive positions of the phasing commutator and scanning drum of the transmitter during a phasing interval;

Fig. 21 is a developed plan of the successive stylus. positions shown in Figs. 17 to 20;

Fig. 22 shows in an exaggerated way how conducting marks are made by a soft graphite pencil on the insulating top surface of a transmitting blank;

Fig. 23 is a diagram of the transmitter circuits;

Fig. 24 is a simplified detail of the transmitter circuits;

Fig. 25 is a modification of Fig. 24;

Fig. 26 shows a top view of the portable facsimile receiver used in our system;

Fig. 27 is a front view of the receiver;

Fig. 27A represents an enlarged section on line 21A of Fig. 2'7;

Fig. 28 is an enlarged left end view of Fig. 26 on line 28-28;

Fig. 29 is an enlarged section on line 2929 of Fig. 26;

Fig. 30' is a front view of Fig. 29 looking from left to. right;

Fig. 31 represents a transverse section on line 3l-3l of Fig. 26;

Fig. 32 shows an enlarged detail of the stylus carriage used in the receiver;

Fig. 33 is an enlarged detail of the stylus mounting;

Fig. 34 is a cross-section on line 3434 of Fig. 33;

Fig. 35 is a diagram of the receiver circuits; and

Figs. 36 and 37 consist of wave diagrams which indicate roughly the progress of signal waves of different levels through the recording amplifier.

The transmitter The transmitter we used in a practical embodiment of our facsimile system is illustrated in Figs. 1 to 25 of the accompanying drawings. We shall first describe the mechanical construction of the machine, then explain the circuits which produce and amplify the facsimile signals as the stylus scans the subject copy to be transmitted.

Referring to Figs. 1, 2 and 3, there is a hollow base or chassis l 2 of sheet metal on which a main casting I3 is mounted and secured in place at the corners by screws or bolts [4. The casting 13, preferably of aluminum, has three vertical plates or risers l5, I6 and I1. The plates I6 and I? are rectangular (Figs. 4 and 12) but the left plate [-5 is cut away at l5 (Figs. 3 and 15) to provide access to certain parts, as will appear later. The vertical plates [5 and it are connected at the rear by a rib I8 and another rib 59 connects the plates 16 and H. The elements IE to I9 are integral portions of casting 13 which constitutes a unitary supporting frame on the base of the machine.

A rotary shaft 20. is journalled in plates It and I? (Fig. 3) and supports a scanning drum 2! which is a metal cylinder (usually a piece of aluminum tubing) supported on a pair of metal end disks 22 and 23. These disks are mounted on shaft 20' by means of bushings 24 and 25 through which the shaft passes loosely. The bushings 24 and 25 together with the parts mounted thereon are locked in position on shaft 26 by a key 26 at one end and a nut 2? at the other end. The key 26 is a slotted disk seated in a groove in shaft 20 and forming an abutment for bushing 2 A thrust washer 28 prevents unnecessary friction of slotted disk 25 against the bearing in plate It. The right end of drum shaft 26 is screw-threaded at 29, so that the adjustment of nut 27 locks the drum assembly to the shaft to rotate therewith as a unit. A look washer 36 holds the nut 27 in adjusted position.

It should be pointed out that the drum parts 2| to 25 are separate pieces which are separately mounted on shaft 2B as the latter is slipped into position from the left through supporting plate 16 to IT. It is only when the nut 27 is finally tightened that the assembled parts 2i to 25 are united into a single structure mounted on shaft 2E and rotatable therewith. The parts comprising the drum are of good conducting metal which is permanently grounded to the frame of the machine.

The left end of drum shaft 28 extends beyond the plate l6 and carries two gears 3i and 32 which are locked to the shaft by set screws 33. The large gear 3| is permanently in mesh with a pinion 34 fixed on the shaft of a small synchronous motor 35 which is mounted on plate 15 by screws 36. The operation of motor 35 is therefore always accompanied by rotation of the drum 2| at the required speed. In this particular machine, as used in our system, the scanning speed of the drum is low (for example, 50 R. P. M.). Because of certain limitations inherent in the small portable facsimile transmitter which was designed for economy, our system gives a more dependable operation at low transmitter speed. Of course, in the broader use of our transmitter the scanning speed of drum 2i can be raised to the required degree by varying the transmission ratio between the driving motor 35 and the drum shaft 23.

The drum 2! is adapted to support a sheet of paper 31 on which the subject matter to be transmitted has been recorded in conducting marks or characters. An example of a record conceivably made by a soldier in advanced position on a field of action is illustrated in Fig. 16 which requires no description. As shown in Fig. 22, the blank 37 is an especially prepared sheet of paper comprising a base stock 38 of conducting material or impregnated with such material (for example, carbon) and a top layer 38 of porous insulating material. This top layer may be a coating of suitable powder adapted to be scraped away or penetrated by the point of a writing instrument 46, such as a pencil of soft graphite.

Fig. 22 illustrates in an exaggerated way how the graphite pencil 46 makes conducting marks 4| on the insulating layer 39. Those marks, if properly made, penetrate to the conducting base 38 and make contact therewith. As we explain it, the minute particles of soft graphite scraped oi the pencil by virtue of the pressure exerted in the process of writing fill the microscopic pores of the insulating layer 39 with conducting material which constitutes the record to be transmitted. We have, then, a sheet of paper with a conducting base stock and an insulating top surface on which the subject copy is written in conducting marks or characters. The unmarked area of the top surface 39 of the sheet may be called the background on which the marks appear.

The subject sheet or blank 31 is held on the drum 21 by spring garters 42 and 43 which roll easily along the drum to keep the sheet tightly wound up for scanning. As shown in Figs. 2 and 3, the end disks 22 and 23 of drum 2! project sufficiently beyond the drum to prevent the garters 42 and 43 from slipping off.

The upright cross plates I6 and I! support a horizontal rod 44 on which a stylus carriage SK is slidably mounted in operative relation to the scanning drum 2!. The ends of rod 44 are provided with resilient bumpers 44' (such as felt or rubber) to act as stops for the carriage. The construction of stylus carriage SK, as shown in Figs. 4 to 9, comprises in the main a bottom plate 45, an upper strip 46, a channel piece 41 and a block 48 of insulating material. The bottom plate 45 has a pair of depending ears 45 which have holes to receive the guide rod 44 in a smoothly sliding fit. The strip 46 has a pair of upstanding ears 46a and a depending tail 4% at the rear. A half-nut 49 is attached to the underside of plate 45 by screws 59 and 50. The screw 58 also passes through the strip 46, which is secured to plate 45 by two additional screws 5|. These screws also secure the channel piece 4'! on top of strip 46. The cars 46a of strip 46 support an insulating finger piece 52 at the end of a cross pin or screw 53 for easy manipulation of the stylus carriage.

The insulating block 48 carries a cross pin 54 which is pivoted at its ends in the sides of channel piece 4?. An adjustable bearing 55 (Fig. 8) makes it easy to mount the block 48 for a floating pivotal movement. This block has a groove 48 for receiving a spring strip 56 which is clamped in place by a plate 51, a screw 58 and a thumb nut 59. The spring strip 56 is bent down at its front end to hold a stylus 68, which is a short piece of steel wire fixed in position by solder 6! or otherwise. V

I t will thus be seen that the stylus 69 is pivoted on the insulating block 48 and is held by the spring strip 56 at the correct angle for scanning, as shown in Figs. 4 and 6. The weight of block 48 and the parts mounted thereon determines the pressure with which the stylus 69 bears down on the paper, this pressure being very light. For convenience the block 48 may be called the stylus holder.

When the stylus carriage SK is down in scanning position as illustrated in Figs. 4 and 6, the half-nut 49 engages a feed screw 62 which is journalled in the cross plates l6 and H in parallel relation to the drum 21. The left end of feed screw 62 extends beyond the plate 46 and carries a large gear 63 (Fig. 2) which meshes permanently with pinion 32 on the drum shaft 20. It is thus clear that when the synchronous motor 35 is energized it drives the drum 2| and the feed screw 26 simultaneously at their respective predetermined speeds as required in any particular installation. The finger piece 52 serves as a convenient handle for moving the stylus carriage to the two positions shown in Figs. 4 and 5. When the carriage is thrown back, the half-nut 49 is clear of the feed screw 62 and the carriage is free to be shifted by hand along the guide rod 44.

We do not depend on the weight of the stylus carriage SK to hold the half-nut 49 in firm engagement with the rotating feed screw 62 during a scanning operation. A constant downward pressure is exerted on the half-nut by a tensioned U-shaped leaf spring 64, which is fastened at its lower end to the base casting I3 by an insulated screw 65 (Figs. 2 and 4). The upper end of spring 64, which is usually of Phosphor bronze, is attached to the stylus carriage by means of an insulated connection shown best in Fig. 6.

A screw 66 is mounted on the tail extension 461) of strip 46 and insulated therefrom by washers or bushings 6'! and 68 of Bakelite or similar material. A right angled connector having arms 69 and I6 (Fig. 2) is mounted on bushing 61 by the screw 66. The upper end of spring 64 is connected to arm 69 in any practical way, as by a conducting link, and the arm 10 is connected to the rear end of clamp 57 by a flexible conductor H, which is soldered in place at both ends. It will be seen from this that the stylus 60 is electrically connected through the spring 64 to the insulated binding post 65, this connection being part of the stylus circuit to be described later. The spring 64 is preferably enclosed in a flexible insulating sheath 12.

The electrical spring connection 64 also performs the mechanical function of assisting to hold the half-nut 49 pressed down against the feed screw 62, as will be clear from Fig. 4. As the stylus carriage slides along the drum 2| from left to right during scanning, the upper end of spring 64 moves with it and the constant upward pressure of the attached spring tends to rock the carriage forward (leftward as viewed in Fig. 4) about the guide rod 44. This spring action maintains the half-nut 49 in firm driving contact with the feed screw 62. It is to be understood that the leaf spring 64 is sufficiently flexible to follow the movements of the stylus carriage.

A comparison of Figs. 4 and 5 shows that when the carriage SK is down in scanning position, the stylus holder 48 is free to rock about its pivot 54 (Fig. 8) so that the stylus 6c is in pressure contact with the sheet on the drum. When the carriage is thrown back, the stylus holder rocks down with respect to the bottom plate 45 until the front end of arm 56 rests on the tip of the .plate, as shown in Fig, 5. The carriage will not stay automatically in thrown-back position because it is overbalanced toward the drum 2-! by its own weight and by the pressure of spring 64. We have therefore provided means for locking the stylus carriage in raised or rest position when required.

Looking at Figs. 12 and 13, there is a stiif spring latch '13 secured to the rear edge of plate t'i by screws M. This latch extends leftward in spaced relation to rib l9. and terminates in a divergent tip. l3. When the stylus carriage SK is in raised position and is pushed toward the right, the tail 46b. of the carriage frame rides along the rear rib i9. and is guided by the divergent tip '53 into automatic engagement with the latch l3 (Fig. 5.). The carriage is now sustained in raised position, leaving the drum 2! free for reloading. By merely shifting the carriage tov the left, the operator releases it from the latch 13 so that it can be lowered to scanning position.

Since our transmitter is a portable machine that may receive rough handling in transport, it is desirable to look not only the frame of the Stylus carriage in raised position, as above described, but also the stylus holder 38 which normally swings loose on the carriage frame. For this purpose. we provide a separate spring latch 15. (Figs. 12 and 13) which is shown as a horizontal extension of an upright stri 16 attached to plate I! by the screws When the stylus carriage is shifted in raised position to the extreme right, the spring latch iii engages the top of thumb nut 59 and bears down on it, so that the stylus arm 55. is held pressed against the tip of the carriage plate (Fig. In this way .the entire stylus carriage SK is looked as a unit in raised position so. that no part of it can fiop around during handling or transporting of the mach ne.

As seen in Figs. 3, 14 and 15, a commutator ring T5 is attached to the face of gear 3! on the left end of drum shaft 2i], The ring ll, of good conducting metal, is mo nted on a ring l8 of insulating material, such as Bakelite, which carries a metal bushing 79.. The nested annular parts 'lll,8-l9 are forced together in a tight fit to form a unitary structure which is secured to gear 3! by screws 88 passing through the-inst..- late 21 1;; 1.8. An insulating disk 8! is placed between the gear 3! and the ring ll to insulate the latter completely from the machine The ring 3' is formed with a recess 82 in which contact ment 63 is firmly seated and insulated bya lining or spacer 8.4. The parts 83 and 84 are preferably cemented in place by shellac or other suitable adhesive. A screw 35 passes radially through the segment 83 and through the rings 38 and 1,9 into contact with shaft Z fi, whereby the segment is permanently grounded to the metal frame sgork of the machine.

The ring Ti and segment 83 are engaged by a pair of brushes or contact fingers $6 and 8.1 which are mounted on a suitable bracket 88 secured to the plate i E by screws 89. The free ends of contacts 86 and 8'! so spaced that they just engage the ends of the grounded segment 93 at the same time. For distinction we shall designate the elements 85 and t? as the phasing contacts.

As shown in Fig. 2, which is a top view of the front portion of the transmitter, the drum 2| has a line 9 scored down its length parallel with its axis. There is a certain angular relationship between the line .90, which engineers call the phasing line, and the commutator segment 83. When the operator mounts a sheet on the drum, the top of the sheet is to the left and the left edge 9! is placed to coincide with line 90, while the right edge 92 of the sheet overlaps the left edge. This precise mounting of the sheet on the transmitter drum is. necessary for the proper framing of the facsimile copy recorded at the receiver. As we shall explain later, the phasing operation takes place during the interval when the stylus crosses the blank space on the sheet between the borders 93 and 94 of the rectangle 95 which contains the subject matter to be transmitted.

Obviously, the angle between. the phasing line 95). and the commutator segment 83 will. depend upon the position of contacts of 86 and 87, which may be mounted differently in other designs of our machine. The, best way to explain this. relationship. is to say (see Fig. 14) that when the phasing line 99 is on top, the contact. 87 has just begun to engage the grounded segment 83.. The reason for this will appear inthe coming description of the phasing operation The rear portion of the sheet metal base. t2, that is, the portion extending back of the casting 523, as shown in Fig.v 1, serves as a mounting for the lar er electrical elements of the, transmitter circuits, such as a vibrator 96, a. condenser unit 5?, a transliormer 9.8.. a. ectifier tube 93. and a keying tube N30. The circuit connections for these parts will be explained in the description of Fig, 23.

The small electrical parts of the transmitter circuits are housed in the shallow. chamber H]! of base It, as shown in Fig. 3. All the parts mounted in chamber Illl are not illustrated in the drawing, for in the actual machine this chamber contains resistors, condensers, binding posts, fuses and the necessary Wiring. In Fig. 3, the parts H32; and lilB- may be taken as represent.- ing the contents of chamber it i.

1, 1-0 and 11 show suitable provisions for supporting the vacuum tubes 99 and Hit in firm position against vibration. There is a post I04 fixed on base I2, by a screw I05 and on this post are mounted a clamp H36; for tube 99 and another clamp it! for tube it. Each clamp is a sheet metal arm provided with. a bushing [08 and. 1-09, respectiyely, which; are; slidably mounted on post N34. for vertical adjustment. The post has two flattened sections H0 arranged at right angles to receive the ends of thumb screws I i2 and I IS. The free end-of eachclamp liifi-i 8'! is broadened to form a ring of spring teeth H4 adapted. to engage the associated tube in firm pressure contact, a determined by the vertical adjustment of the clamps on post L84. This elastic clamp.- ing of the tubes in their sockets holds them in safe condition during transportation and ham.- dling of the transmitter. The thumb screws |i2,- 53. not only clamp the tubes in safe position but can be loosened sufiiciently to permit lateral swinging of the clamps out of engagement with the tubes, as when it is necessary to replace a tube. Any other practical supporting means for tubes 99 and. H10 may be used.

As shown in Figs. 1 and 3, the base I2 is cut away at the left rear corner to support a small rectangular casing Hi5 which extends upward and. provides a compartment for battery leads and output cables I Hi When the transmitter is not in use. The casing H5..can be shaped from a single piece ofsheet metal and. secured to'the a e v-Qn o .mq i s r ws I .l w 

